Ever since the mastery of the concept of tools, humanity has sought to improve or augment human performance through the use of external objects. In its original forms, this pursuit was directed towards utility devices such as levers, hammers, and other tools that aided survival and success. The use of tools has continued to assist society in the building and development of new and innovative products.
Recent developments in tools have commonly turned to the development or utilization of electronic substitutes for manual operation. Considerable design effort has been expended to replace basic operations such as driving a nail with complex electronic or hydraulic systems. The principles behind this direction in tool design is the belief that reduction in operator strain is tied to removing operator effort from the action. What the motorized or electric theories fail to address is that many operators do not want to be so removed from the operations they are enacting. Furthermore, the cost and complexity of electronic tools often preclude their usage in many situations. Finally, a pure mechanical tool is always ready, never needs charged or powered, and rarely fails. A new approach towards rethinking traditional design shapes may produce more significant improvements than the application of electronics or motors.
One arena in which traditional utility tools are lacking stems from a failure to apply decades of knowledge of the human body to age old designs. Often the tools retain designs that are offshoots from the simple sticks from which they were originally formed. As such they largely remain straight shafts with only the most minor modifications. Players or other users must grip the straight shaft from the side. This commonly places the users wrist in a strained position which in turn hampers performance and causes undue stress on the user. In addition, a traditional side gripping stance places the centerline of the user's forearm on an angle to the centerline of the engaged shaft. This non-linear grip approach prevents the shaft from acting as a true extension of the users arm. The brain and body must compensate for the lack of linear extension constantly during usage of the shaft. This not only adds undue stress to the operator but also acts a limiter to the true freedom of motion granted to human form.
It would be advantageous to have ergonomic handle design that would allow operators or craftsmen to utilize the tools of their trade with a reduction of stress as well as a more liberal freedom of motion they already experience in their own limbs.